Riddle of Realms
by Kookiebites13
Summary: In a world where some are gifted with supernatural powers, China is protected by the zodiac incarnates called Shengxiao Zhanshi. But when the last Dragon incarnate, Oogway, died without appointing his successor, panic raged throughout the whole country. Now Po, Furious Five, and Tai Lung must solve the riddle of realms and find the Dragon incarnate before peace is destroyed.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi pandom. I've been wanting to do this AU project for a long time.** **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Kung Fu Panda, I'm borrowing the characters and universe for writing practice.**

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生肖戰士

Riddle of Realms

Chapter 1

" _We began thousands of years ago, you and I, and we begin again today."_

* * *

She heard him coming even all the way from the barracks. His scent was unfamiliar, but he smelled of seasonings, cooking fire, and there was a tinge of aura in him that she recognized from the valley market.

Valley people don't just come up here.

Which was why she was going to see what this guest was up to.

She got up from her bed, changed from her sleeping robe, and then slid her bed aside and opened a secret hatch on the floor she had found the first time she came to the palace. After making sure that her bedroom door was locked, Tigress jumped into the secret hatch.

Under her bedroom was a part of secret tunnels and rooms that goes underground all over the estate. Having traveled almost all the path, she knew the tunnels like the back of her paw and often venture in it for hours during her free time. It became her sanctuary. The best thing was her brother didn't know about it.

From under her bedroom floor, she would walk for about a few meters before the tunnel separated into different paths. The first path on the right will lead to the training grounds. The second to the kitchen area and further into the servant's quarters, the third to the gardens, and the last, the one she took, will take her to the tunnel system under the library, artifact room, and Sacred Hall of Warriors.

The floor and the walls were surprisingly smooth unlike one of a cave. There were a few glowing gems on the walls of the tunnels as sources of light, but she didn't really need them. Her night vision came to aid her better from time to time.

One sharp turn to the left, then another to the right, and a short climb to a cylinder space; she made it into one of the pillars in the Sacred Hall of Warriors. There was a small hole there on the relief plugged with a small wood painted gold. Unplugging it, she saw Zeng coming with Master Shifu and Master Oogway. Her adoptive father and his master greeted the valley goose dressed in red, who in turn, bowed in full respect. But what was he doing here?

Tigress began tuning out her own thoughts, and instead, tuning into the four men's for a quick eavesdrop before they started talking.

Zeng was complaining about being tired. She also heard him thinking about the morning tasks.

Master Shifu only sounded to be slightly irritated, as expected. But from his slightly buzzing mind, which usually means he was tired, Tigress knew he hadn't gone to sleep yet. She didn't find any signs that he was expecting the goose.

Master Oogway's thought didn't provide anything either. Contrary to Master Shifu's though, his mind was collected and calm. She could feel a slight aura of happiness in him, actually. Was this goose an old friend?

When she tuned into the goose's mind, it was chaotic. He was worried, she could tell. He seemed to have brought something round and large covered in black and white fur beside him. Unfortunately she couldn't see clearly what it was, another pillar was blocking her view. She considered moving to another pillar across the room but wouldn't risk missing anything they said.

After further listening, she found out he kept thinking of someone named 'Po' she assumed to be either his brother or his son. So that must be why he was here.

Civilians only came to the Jade Palace for three reasons. One was educative purposes. Every now and then the school would arrange a little field trip with Oogway to the Sacred Hall of Warriors. She often spied on the tour groups too. The closest thing to school she had was training and study sessions from Soothsayer.

Another was political reasons. Master Shifu was the valley's defender and one of the members in the leader council while Master Oogway was the head of the council itself, for he was the valley's spiritual leader. Since the goose's mind was revolved around a single person, she concluded he was here because of the third reason:

Supernatural.

She switched into their conversation.

"Masters, I apologize for coming at such time without notice."

"There's no need to worry, Mr. Ping," said Master Shifu. "What can we help you with?"

It was then that Tigress saw the black and white object moving. It had shivered, taking the attention of not only her but also the four men.

"Good evening, Po."

"Good evening, Master Oogway."

Mr. Ping had moved back slightly to place a caring wing on the black and white large thing that turned out to be a panda. The sight of him made her gasp. Tigress had never seen a real panda before. All she'd seen were pictures in scrolls. Honestly, she didn't know they still exist.

Plus, if he was there all along, why didn't she hear his mind? He must've thought about something. Judging from his voice, he was still a kid, barely a year or two younger than her.

"My son is in great need of your help." _Oh,_ Tigress thought. "He has been plagued with nightmares and visions."

"Clairvoyance?" Shifu inquired, stepping forward to examine Po. The panda shrunk under his gaze and smiled awkwardly.

"I'm afraid to say," Mr. Ping confessed. "But it might be true."

"What's your evidence?"

Mr. Ping twiddled the edge of his wings, growing unsure. But one look at his son's tired eyes gave him enough power to burst through his doubts. "A few days ago Xiao Po told me not to cross the main bridge. At first, I thought he was being silly. I am a frequent at the spice market across the river, and we were running out of supplies. But Po was insistent, he was so scared." Tigress saw Po look away. "So I closed the shop for a few days and relaxed until Po will let me. And then yesterday…"

"The bridge collapsed," finished the two masters.

Dozens of people were injured. Two people who were passing under the bridge by boat died of drowning after being knocked out by falling heavy debris. The following morning Shifu and Oogway were supposed to go down to the valley and conduct a funeral ceremony. Even Zeng gulped uncomfortably at the horrible memory. He was down at the spice market when the incident happened, and had been the one to alert the Jade Palace masters.

Oogway now moved forward, settling in front of the boy just slightly shorter than him. Mr. Ping slid to the side so his son won't be too crowded, but still close enough if he needed him.

"I'm sorry I only told my dad. I was being selfish… and now all those people are hurt because I didn't do anything to stop it," said Po, sniffling.

"What could you have done?" Oogway told him. "Would people have believed you if you had warned them?"

At this, Tigress shook her head firmly. She knew first hand how people sometimes treat the gifted.

But Po wouldn't hear it. "At least I should've tried."

Upon hearing this, Oogway was proud despite not knowing the boy personally. He will never refuse people who needed help, especially those who cared about others. There were always priceless little things in children's mind that never failed to impress him.

"I need to see how strong your power is," Oogway proclaimed softly. Po didn't give a respond until he saw his dad nodding in approval, "Okay."

The answer automatically triggered a procedure. Shifu and Zeng stepped away to give the master some room. Mr. Ping, although a bit reluctant, eventually followed.

The panda soon found himself in a large space alone with Master Oogway, who had his eyes closed in deep concentration. His fingers and palm then started moving slowly in a weird sequence, like how spider's feet move when walking in its web. Imagining it made him sick. Maybe he shouldn't have sneaked a couple of dumplings before coming up here.

Suddenly Master Oogway's fingers stopped all together. Now his arms were stretched forward, like a jiangshi, and began a sequence of movements similar to tai chi. Since Po was naturally curious, he copied the master's movement with his own furry arms.

Shifu raised one interested eyebrow at the sight. Usually when Oogway was reading children's gift strength, they either stood in silence or looked around in confusion. Seeing Po and his master moving together in sync was definitely a first. Moreover, both looked so serene as if they've done this thousands of times before.

It wasn't long until the two were engulfed by golden dusts that moved around them. The number grew larger by each second, until it formed a small tunnel of twisting energy that swiveled upwards and upwards, reaching the ceiling, completely obscuring the other's view of the panda and tortoise trapped inside.

Tigress had only seen this procession once, when she met Oogway for the first time and needed to be tested. But there was nothing for her to do except sit and wait in silence as Master Oogway read her chi.

So when Po suddenly screamed, the shock ricocheted all over the room.

The tunnel of energy exploded and crumbled. It revealed Po and Master Oogway, whose eyes were both glowing light blue, both looked equally horrified. Just after a strong gust of wind slammed the giant twin doors open, blowing away the fallen dusts of energy, their eyes returned to normal and right there in front of their eyes, Po, without any warning, disappeared in a flash along with the remaining glow of Oogway's chi.

Everyone was frozen in place, agape, while Zeng had flinched in surprise with a light shriek.

"Master!" Shifu ran to Oogway's side and helped the fallen master up. The tortoise was gasping for air, seemingly dazed and horrified at the same time. "Master, what did you see?"

"Something extraordinary. The boy…" his fingers pointed to the spot where Po should have been.

"Master?" Shifu asked worriedly.

Oogway shook his head to rid the last of his immense headache and brushed Shifu off. "Why had he disappeared?"

All eyes now turned to Mr. Ping. He came forward with his head slightly down, confessing, "My son can… make himself invisible."

"How interesting," Oogway muttered ambiguously, his smile returning. With a soft grunt, Oogway forced his body to turn the other way and started walking, limping slightly towards the Moon Pool without an explanation against Shifu's immense concern and confusion. He knew that his student would ask all the nonesense questions for him. As he passed by Zeng, he asked the palace servant to prepare a pot of tea for their guests.

"And wake Soothsayer. I need to speak with her."

The urgency in his tone didn't go unnoticed by the goose. "Right away, Master," bowed Zeng before flying to the kitchen.

Shifu was still thoroughly surprised. Not so much because of Po's powers now, but rather where he came from. People from the valley were simple folks and Shifu have never heard of a gifted that came from the Valley of Peace. Although, on second thought, considering Mr. Ping and Po's relationship, he was sure Po came from somewhere far away. "Can he control it?"

"No. He just disappears whenever he's afraid or upset. That's why I need your help, Master Shifu."

Shifu nodded without a doubt. "I'd be honored, Mr. Ping. It is my duty to guide young gifted."

"And I was hoping I could ask one more favor, actually. I heard Lu Zhao had retired. So if you'd let me, I'd like to work here as your chef."

Shifu raised his eyebrows. From his occasional observation to the valley, Mr. Ping was a somewhat a very work-oriented man. Although he used to be alone, he always welcomed customers with open arms as if they were distant relatives visiting. He always tried new things to promote his restaurant, some were even downright a little silly, but if Shifu had to guess, folks loved his quirkiness and his slight temper regarding profits. Even he had heard the story of how Mr. Ping inherited the shop from his father, who had also inherited the shop from his father who won it in a game of mahjong. The noodle shop was the prized treasure of the Ping family. "But what about your shop?"

Mr. Ping's smile was simple when the goose answered, "I wish to stay here as long as Po is under your tuition. He needs me. Please, Shifu, from father to father."

Something in Mr. Ping's voice got to him. For a short moment Shifu saw himself with his son and daughter, and imagined having to part from them. Whether it could be called empathy or not, the important point was that he understood deeply the need to always be close to his children.

"I wouldn't dare separating a son in need from his father."

Mr. Ping expressed his gratitude with his famous energetic flare, overwhelming Shifu a bit, causing a degree of Po's invisible frown was lifted.

Sadly, this part of the conversation was unheard on Tigress' part. She was busy with her own thoughts.

She'd came down to the valley a couple of times, but she never saw a panda walking the streets. This fact intrigued her because she instantly felt sympathy towards him. Sure there was Tai Lung, but she never saw any Bengal tigers around. Sometimes to the point she thought she was the last one alive.

The most intriguing part, however, was the fact that everyone else was somewhat shocked, saying that Po disappeared, while she could clearly see him leaning on the pillar across from her with his knees tucked under his chin. He had jade green eyes, and Tigress regretted the fact that she had to see them for the first time under such distress. She had a feeling they could have been the liveliest eyes ever. Like his father.

" _It'll be okay, Po,"_ she thought as she promised herself that she would greet him before anyone does when morning comes. Secretly she was excited. The only students at the palace were her and her brother, and Tai Lung was ten years older, a gap too big for them to be playmates. Tai Lung was always busy training, anyway. This time if all goes well, she will have a new friend by breakfast.

She was about to plug back the peeky hole when she heard his terrified voice echoing inside her head, _"Who said that?"_

Po grew wary. It was a girl's voice. His eyes widened and his body froze on the floor at the thought of ghosts. Silently looking around, curling himself into a giant ball, he whispered a couple of "Hello?" and "Who's there?" as he tried to calm his panic breathing. He should be okay, Master Shifu and his dad was just around the corner. A kung fu master and his dad's energy could probably beat up a ghost. Shifu could easily earthbend the ghosts into oblivion and his dad was surprisingly good at knife throwing.

But what if it was an army of ghosts? Oh man, what if the ghosts could see him? He raised his arms in front of him to check whether he'd turned normal, but he still could see the marble floor through them.

And then he heard it again. A young, friendly, curious voice in his head, _"Why would a ghost be afraid of another ghost?"_

It took him a little while to digest the meaning, but his eyes lit up in an instant once he did. Someone else was here. Someone like him!

Now with his fear slowly fading away, Po scanned his surroundings once again. Something, he didn't know what, pulled his attention to the pillar across from him. It looked absolutely identical to the others, yet that something urged him to investigate.

Without getting up, Po shifted closer.

" _Can you hear me?"_ the voice said again, a little louder now. The voice brought his attention to a small spot of amber on the golden relief. It blinked, causing him to give a little yelp, and the voice repeated, _"Can you hear me?"_

He nodded slowly. _"Yeah,"_ he thought. Jade met amber. He didn't know why he was hopeful all of the sudden. _"Can you see me?"_

The amber spot, which he had figured to be an eye, blinked again as she said without the slightest of doubt, an answer nobody else ever gave him, _"Yes."_

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 **A/N: Jiangshi is a hopping ghost from Chinese legend. Or maybe you've seen LoA episode Po Who Cried Ghost (was it? I forgot the title)?**

 **Thank you so much for reading. RnR?**

 **Up next: You've seen Tigress and Po's powers. What about the other Furious Five?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I apologize in advance for grammatical errors and OOC-ness. But it's an AU, so some characters will be different from their original version.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Kung Fu Panda, I'm borrowing the characters and universe for writing practice.**

 **Hope you enjoy it!**

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生肖戰士

Riddle of Realms

Chapter 2

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It was a very quiet day.

The sun had risen farther upwards into the sky, but the sight of the valley below was still obscured by mist so thick they resembled clouds.

His own snout was covered in silver puffs of air as he moved among the rocks. The contents of his small bag jingled with each landing. His hat almost slipped from the top of his head as he hoisted himself up over a giant stone blocking his path. His fur kept him warm from the cold, but he was getting tired. Faintly, he could smell fresh water, and that kept him going. He followed his senses, and they guided him to a small water fall at the mouth of a cavern. Moss covered almost the entire inner walls.

Despite being so high up in the mountain, the cave was emitting strange warmth. Water dripped down from the ceiling into a pool in a constant rhythm, and the echoes were almost ethereal.

He felt safe here.

He discarded his hat and bag against the cavern walls and made himself comfortable on the edge of the pool. He spooned water with his paws into his dry mouth, wiping his lips once his thirst was quenched and then splashed his face and neck to rinse beads of sweat. He was about to do the same with his armpit when he noticed it. Parallel to his reflection, on the other side of the pool, was a strange light brighter than the world outside, as if this pool had somehow managed to suck a large portion of the sun and swallow it. He jolted up onto his feet. The light started to make out a form.

He stepped into the water, but cold never invaded his senses. Onward he went, until he reached the smallest distance to the light that his courage managed to take him. His fingers dipped into the water, reaching for the light, and that was when the light turned into a beastly face with fangs and golden scales. In his shock, he slipped and fell. He never found his footing again because the pool's bottom had suddenly disappeared. The surrounding ocean blue and warmth battled against his lungs, but then, when an invisible force turned his body around, he didn't feel like breathing was a necessity.

A pair of jade orbs met his own.

* * *

 ** _6012 AL_**

As Viper slithered on the stairs in Master's Garden, the snow automatically parted to let her through. Next to her, Tigress was keeping an eye for the slightest movements, using the silence to tune in to the boys' thoughts as a mean of detecting them.

"There's no use in hiding, guys, Tigress and I will get you eventually!" Viper shouted, half giggling. "I'm talking to you too, Po!"

 _"How is this fair again? One is a waterbender and the other can read minds!"_ Tigress smirked at Mantis' pathetic complaint. "Crane, can't you ask the ghosts around to spook them or something?"

From behind Master Flying Rhino's statue, Crane warned, "They're currently giving you death glares now, Mantis."

"Who? The ghosts or the girls?"

The answer came in a form of a lightning fast snowball smacking him in the face, knocking him off the stone he was perched on.

But, if Mantis really wanted to know, Crane thought, "Both."

Somewhere on the line of statues across from them, Monkey cackled, and then far from his prediction a snowball managed to land rather harshly on him. The sound of impact mixed with his tiny yelp set the two girls bursting with laughter while Po and Crane was still wondering where Monkey was from their respective hiding place. As far as they knew, Viper didn't hit anything but snow.

"Wha-how did you find me?"

"You're the only pile of snow that I couldn't move with my mind."

"Oh," came Monkey's dumbfounded reply as a dim light engulfed him and turned him back to his original form. "I'll keep that in mind next time."

"Now where are our two clairvoyants?" Viper taunted. Her tail twirled around a couple of snowballs each the perfect size to strike down Po and Crane.

 _"Hey I'm still figuring out my future career, Vi,"_ Po thought. _"Still choosing between cleaner, comedian, dancer, doctor… hm, what else?"_

 _"Emperor?"_

 _"Oh right emperor! Wait a sec…"_ He turned around to see Tigress grinning dangerously, one hand behind her back and the other bouncing a little snowball.

"Boo."

"Gah!" The sound of snow hitting fur was heard, and quicker than falling dominoes, the game took a surprise turn as Monkey rose from the snowy grounds and onto Master Rhino's axe, shouting, "Brothers, attack!" Smiling, Crane stroke a jab at Tigress' stomach, and quickly teamed up with Po.

"You asked for it. Ha!" Viper challenged back. In a whipping move, she sent dozens of snowballs hurtling towards Monkey. He somersaulted into the air, plucked a few of his hair, and threw them back at the waterbender. Those hairs turned into giant snowballs midflight, but Viper easily lifted a wall of ice to block them. Once they hit her wall of protection, they turned back into golden hairs and fell harmlessly to the ground.

"Monkey, it's disgusting!"

"Admit it, you are no match for my seventy two transformations!" He screeched in victory, and then changed himself into a swallow. Viper resumed her attack. Rocketing snowballs chased after him like bullets and in his state Monkey assumed defense, flying around dodging every single one of them. But his reflex was slowly deteriorating as she continued to tire him out. Monkey now had to deal with bigger snowballs and ranges of water strikes as her attacks picked up more speed.

Speaking of speed, Mantis stood watch from on top Master Chicken's statue as everything unfolded almost as quickly as lightning flashes. Summoning his inner energy, Mantis closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the world was moving at snail's pace. He could easily walk about thirty steps before one of Viper's snowballs could launch into the air.

"Showtime," he grinned to himself.

Monkey was already on the verge of losing his balance. Flying with wings totally weren't as easy as Crane made it out to be. And just when he managed to force himself to dodge another snowball, Viper caught him off guard and proceeded to trap him inside a bubble of water, drenching his wings.

"Feeling cold, brother?"

"I could say the same thing about you!" Mantis chimed in. Before Viper could process his sentence, she was being attacked by sharp, tiny snowballs at high speed, blinding her sight and eventually shattering her focus on the bubble of water trapping Monkey. He fell ungraciously on his butt, immediately shaking off the water off his feathers before reverting to his simian form, and extended his leg for a flying kick at the distracted Viper.

Meanwhile on the other side of the newly formed sparring field, Tigress was throwing punches left and right at Po and Crane. She blocked Po's side kick, tripping his other feet. When she turned she barely managed to block Crane's claws. The attacks continued rapidly and Tigress struggled between handling Po's weight and Crane's agility. But as their senior in kung fu she smiled proudly at their progress. Even if their powers couldn't lend much hand during fights, at least they could protect themselves.

"Watch your stance, Po," she said between her breaths. Compared to Crane, who had his mind set on the game, Po was more interested in learning as much as possible. When he saw Tigress landing a fierce kick on Crane, sending the avian to the ground, he copied it. When Crane used his wings to distract the tiger, Po assimilated it with his own moves. The panda wasn't even aware that his harmless intention and Crane's determination to win managed to disorient her by forcing her to juggle between being a teacher and a formidable opponent at the same time.

Crane realized he wasn't going to win this with brutal force. Moreover she could predict his next moves effortlessly with her power. So when Tigress turned her back to him to face Po's series of punches ("Fists of Fury!") Crane, without much thinking, imagined a horrifying face of Nian monster baring its fangs, staring with its piercing eyes. Once Tigress turned back to him, still in battle mode, she automatically read his mind.

What came next was snowball effect, literally!

She screamed in surprise, jumping backwards and crashing into Po, passing on the surprise to him as he slipped on ice and grabbed her arm for balance. But Tigress didn't expect the sudden weight so she too grabbed Crane's leg for support and the three tumbled down the stairs into one giant screaming snowball, taking Mantis, Monkey, and Viper along with them as they continued rolling down the hills in one huddled giant snowy mess.

"Mantis, Viper, do something!" Tigress commanded, her voice trembling. Mantis had his head stuck in snow and unfortunately no one could see him with dizziness clouding their heads. Worse, Crane threatened to throw up and Po's ceaseless screaming only added to their panic.

"Viper, anytime now!"

"Hang on!" Viper grunted, struggling to seize control. It wasn't until Po fearfully began to gather everyone into a hug that Viper unexpectedly acquired a surge of energy and managed to avert them from another mad roll.

The sudden halt brought first silence, and then a collective sigh of relief.

"That," Po panted, "was awesome!"

"Okay Viper, get us out of here. I think Crane can't hold it any longer," Monkey pointed at the avian who looked very green in the face and was nodding frantically.

"With pleasure."

She blasted the snow off them. But as it turned out, they had stopped midair and before anyone could realize so, gravity pulled them down and the six of them plunged into the freezing cold lake together with one last synchronous shriek.

Afternoon chaos routine? Done.

* * *

Mr. Ping paced around handing tea he just made. Most of the kids were already dry and fine, aside from their developing cold. He considered flying down to the market to get cough syrups against Shifu's judgment that they were young warriors and should only need rest. Most of the time when it comes to the children Shifu only needed a little coaxing to let Mr. Ping do whatever he deemed fit. Even Tai Lung had to suffer Mr. Ping's lengthy lectures whenever he did something dangerous in training. "I told you kids to play inside."

"Dad…"

"And why is Viper the only one wearing her coat?"

Soothsayer chuckled silently; sending Zeng off to hang the children's wet clothes.

"How did you even end up in the lake?"

"It wasn't my fault," Po scrunched up his face and sneezed. Mr. Ping swatted his arm away before Po could use it to wipe his runny nose, and instead gave him a handkerchief. "Tigress surprised me and I slipped," he sniffed.

Tigress, now in another one of her maroon dresses, tightened her sash. "Well I wouldn't have if it weren't for Crane," she countered.

"Hey don't blame me. I was just getting into the New Year spirit."

Tigress stared at him, unamused. "By imagining a terrifying Nian to surprise me?"

"I thought you don't get surprised easily." She growled at Po. "Oh really? How scary can it-Ah! Stop, stop, you're gonna give me nightmares!"

"Oh yeah, I forgot they have telepathy connection," Mantis said quietly to Viper as she helped Monkey get water out of his ear.

"Why do you think Po and Tigress often laugh out of nowhere?" Monkey replied.

"I don't know… maybe they remembered something funny?"

Viper piped up, "At the same time? What are the chances?"

Their conversation drew Shifu to listen in. He recalled the day Tigress told him that she could speak to Po with their minds. If he wasn't mistaken, Mr. Ping had fainted, shocked that his son turned out to have more power when he wasn't yet able to control the other two properly. But Shifu wasn't the least bit surprised. Gifted with multiple powers were not rare. On most instance the gifted has barely lethal powers, so Shifu rather thought Mr. Ping had nothing to worry about Po. And Tigress' power was bound to develop further as she ages.

When he reported to Master Oogway, his sage master didn't react immediately. He only looked up from the scroll spread across his lap and asked, "Can she telepathize with anyone else?"

The answer haunted Shifu to this very day.

"Ah, I was wondering where all of you have disappeared to," Oogway announced on his arrival to the tea house.

 _"Speak of the devil,"_ Shifu thought.

To the children's amusement, Oogway wore a pink knit hat and many layers of shawl on top of his jade grandmaster robe, practically a bundle of fabric. The kids, albeit one or two did in secret, burst into laughter.

Mr. Ping stood up for the master, placing both wings on his hip, "Eh, what are you kids laughing about? You ought to follow Master Oogway. He wouldn't catch a cold this way."

When they only laughed harder, Shifu resolutely cleared his throat, effectively silencing them. "Greet your master, children."

They all jumped to their feet and bowed, "Good afternoon, Master." Seeing them obedient under his command, Shifu sent a winning glance to Mr. Ping, who scowled challengingly.

"At ease, children. I brought presents," Oogway revealed from behind him Zeng and Tai Lung carrying seven packages. The children practically lit up as they rejoiced, apart from Po, who squealed loudest and started jumping in place. Tai Lung resisted the urge to dribble the panda as he made his way in and disposed the stack of boxes by the round table where Soothsayer sat, his younger brothers and sisters in arms following him like baby geese following their mother. Just not in the same orderly fashion.

"Master, can we pick?" Monkey asked hopefully, already aiming for the biggest package.

"That one is for Tai Lung, Monkey." Hearing this, the simian pouted and blew raspberries at the yellow spotted snow leopard before grabbing the second biggest and shaking it to guess its content.

"There are our names on it," Tigress noticed as she picked up the package addressed to her.

Monkey turned the package in his hands around until he saw Po's name on it, then with a short, "Heads up, Po!" threw it to him.

"Thank you, Master," they and Tai Lung chorused, gathering around Oogway. He simply nodded humbly at their thanks, and invited them all to sit, pretending to surround a campfire, which in reality was a clay kettle warmer filled with burning coals.

"Unfortunately, I will have to leave after New Year's Eve," to this, the children groaned sadly, "Don't be sad, children. New Year is coming and joy is upon us!"

"Yes, Master," Tigress answered for everyone.

"Good. Now run along to your room and rest."

"Don't forget to clean your room later!" Mr. Ping shouted after their retreating figures. Afterwards, he and Zeng excused themselves to the kitchen, and the three masters were left alone at the tea house, save for one student.

"It's almost time, isn't it?" asked the young simian. They all turned to their grandmaster, who revealed nothing. So as his second in command Shifu tried to explain. "We don't know for sure. Most of the time the identity of the next Dragon is revealed on Year of Rabbit's final days. But that doesn't necessarily mean this year."

"Until the next Dragon is found, your identity will remain a secret," Soothsayer reassured.

A warm hand touched Monkey's shoulder, and the boy looked up seeing his grandmaster's unreadable face. "May I have a word alone with you, Monkey?"

Tigress, though she never admitted it, was a leader figure to the others. Tai Lung would have been, but he was mostly on his own during training and only spent time with them to play. Besides, she doubted her brother would be honored to lead a bunch of twelve year olds. So she began to nurture her leader instinct. That was why she waited for Monkey to come out of the tea house. The others, especially Mantis, were probably already in the dorm preparing for dinner. She was also waiting for Po who had lost his will to run after only ten meters.

So when she saw Master Oogway taking Monkey for a walk around the lake, she tuned in to his thought, and heard something utterly astonishing.

"Where are we going?" Po asked when she grabbed his hand and took him for a detour.

"We can't waste our time. Quick, make us invisible." Po did as told. He was still learning how to make others invisible, but so far he could only do so as long as he was in contact with the object or person, so he let her guide him to where Oogway and Monkey were standing under a peach tree.

 _"What are they thinking?"_ Po asked her in his mind.

 _"Just… try not to scream if it's true, okay?"_

 _"Why? What's wrong-"_

"Uncertainty is not weakness, but it will stay forever if you don't try to find clarity," Oogway prompted.

Tigress saw an image of another simian in Monkey's head, with a single coin in his palm which he tossed into the air. "Monk Tai Sui told me only the Monkey incarnates can have the power of seventy-two transformations."

Tigress and Po looked at each other, aghast.

"A heavy responsibility indeed."

Monkey looked away for a moment, contemplating his fate. He thought he'd accepted it long ago. But now, facing the destined day, he was scared again. "What if I fail the world, Master?"

Oogway smiled wisely. "During the Chaoziran War, the Shengxiao spirits did not deem four chosen mortals worthy because they never fail. It is their failures _and_ their will to fight for justice that made them great. On New Year's Eve, you and hopefully your fellow incarnates will be introduced to the village. Stay loyal to them and the world. Only by doing the opposite will you truly fail." Oogway's trembling finger pointed at him, "Not only the world, but also yourself."

"What about the next Dragon and the other incarnates? Does that mean you…," Oogway raised his hand to stop Monkey from finishing his sentence, but nodded to confirm it, though not in regret; with the acceptance Monkey craved for all his life.

"I haven't told Shifu, but you are right. My time is not long. The Impossible Task awaits you and your fellow incarnates, my friend. It is time for the new Shengxiao Zhanshi to rise."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi pandom! I haven't been here in ages. Sorry... heheh. School is kinda hectic and I have so many fandom to fangirl over. But I'm back! Just in time for Chinese New Year too. Hope you guys have a great weekend!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda, it belongs to Dreamworks Animation. This work is purely fiction.**

 **UPDATE (6/22/17): There has been some changes to this chapter due to a change of mind regarding the plot.**

* * *

生肖戰士

Riddle of Realms

Chapter 3

* * *

"You know many stories."

"I travel quite a lot."

"Hm."

"But you know so much more than I do."

"Naturally."

Night settled. The constellations on duty had their light traversed past the sky, lighting the crystal rivers down below. The moon presented the eastern mountainsides with gentle spotlight. The shadows hid no fear.

The young man sighed and bit into his last peach.

"Why have you come to my mountains?"

"What do you think?" he said through the sweet fruit spoiling his taste buds.

"I think you've come to seek enlightenment."

He took a gulp of water to clean the sugar from his mouth.

"From me," continued the mightier being.

"Yeah, I guess there's that too."

"But?"

"But… I think I'm just trying to find home."

* * *

Jingzi Temple stood thin and tall, deep under the humid shade of Wu Zhang Forest. Surrounded by unharmed nature, Jingzi Temple was the lone unnatural object for as far as ten miles. The structure consisted only of a silinder tower and the barracks that housed trainee monks and spiritual teachers. A long painting of cerulean and white clouds spiraled the tower from the auburn cone-shaped roof to bottom as the proud symbol of the renown spiritual Jingshen clan.

That day, on the last day of the twelfth month, the head monk of Jingzi Temple, Monk Tai Sui, had requested the temple to be vacated for their guest in need. He sat in lotus position on the ground floor of the temple where black and white marbles formed the symbol of balance, surrounded by lit candles. The entire inner wall of the temple was covered in shining mirror, such dedicated feat by the monks that became the temple's name. Across from him, on the edge of yin, sat a small ghostly demon with silver fangs and red eyes. It wept with light tremors and shallow breaths as thunder cracked in the cinereous sky. The forest mist had entered the room, now engulfing the candles that they were now mere blurry shades of orange.

"Sun Lei, it is unwise to play tricks and lie, let alone lie about who you are."

The young boy sniffled, wiping his nose in anguish with his arm. "I am not who you think I am."

Monk Tai Sui stroked his long thin line of mustache, his head inkling to the side in curiosity. "No ordinary being has ever mastered the seventy-two transformations technique."

"Well maybe I am just a freak!"

"A Shengxiao Zhanshi is not a freak, Sun Lei. You should be proud of this honor, and take the responsibility you were destined for." Monk Tai Sui extended his arms openly in a gesture of peace, but the younger boy flinched back with distrust. His form slightly blurred into the shape of a dragon, but reverted quickly back to his ghostly demon form.

When lightning stroke, casting a flash of light into the temple, the white demon disintegrated into a light, transforming into a giant boar, a jaguar, a phoenix, and then came together again in the form of a young golden languor.

"I make my own destiny," Sun Lei proclaimed.

A second lightning ignited in the gray sky, the sound exploded around them – shaking the building, rattling the mirrors, cracking them until they all finally broke apart in pieces, hurtling at the yin and yang.

The shock alerted Monkey back into consciousness, jolting his upper body into rising from the sleeping mat. It took him quite a while, as he breathed his shock out of his system, to recognize where he was. His fingers instinctively went up his arms and his head, tracing the shape, finding comfort in feeling his soft golden hair and not some scales or feathers.

He checked his back for good measure. No wings.

Monkey sighed.

It dawned on him a second later that the thunders and lightnings weren't mere figments of his memories. There were shadows of frost pattern on the rice paper covering one side of his room. Haunting winter wind was howling outside, carrying away the peace and calm of Wu Zhang Forest in his dream.

Someone knocked gently on his door. There could only be one person awake in the middle of the night with such weather engulfing the outside world, and he could see her small shadow on the door, waiting.

She greeted him with a small smile, looking slightly guilty. "Sorry. I just-did you have a nightmare?"

Monkey tensed at her question. His eyes darted to Tigress' door for a second before he turned back to the bright green reptile, feeling anxious. "Did Tigress tell you?" It was the most possible reason. Their rooms were right next to each other, Viper would certainly be up on nights like this, and if Tigress is concerned enough she'd have her check on him. But Monkey thought Tigress already stopped accidentally channeling into other's dreams.

"No. I… I sensed your blood pressure. I wanted to make sure you're okay."

"Whoa, you can do that now?" Monkey said, impressed. None of them ever had any new power ever since the day Crane woke up seeing dead people walking around the estate, and that was three years ago. For three days, half of them were spooked out of their minds – Po kept fearing that some maimed ghosts are dripping blood into his soup and they once caught Viper performing a ghost-ridding ritual in the bathing house – while the other half – him, Mantis, and Tai Lung – kept asking where the most haunted spots were.

He could already imagine Shifu telling Viper that this power would be useful to detect truth from the enemies.

"Only during full moons and… well, weathers like this. Anyway, I'm about to make tea. Wanna come with?"

Monkey told himself it was to keep Viper company instead of shaking off Monk Tai Sui out of his head, but as he closed his door and followed Viper to the kitchen, he wondered whether Viper could sense the lie.

Viper made herself busy once they got there; bending water from the big pot by the corner into two small ceramic cups and tossing the tea leaves. Whatever she does, there was always grace to it that gave her dancer identity away, even though no one in he Jade Palace had seen her actually dance. They could only see bits of it during training, especially the fire pit practice, and from little things like preparing tea and cleaning.

"I hate winter."

The sentence was followed by her gradually ending dance. By then, two cups of steaming tea sat side to side on the table, and once Monkey took a sip of that warmth he still didn't prefer it to watching Viper dance.

"I thought you'd be happy surrounded by your element." And he'd wager the others would think so too, with the way Viper always played around with every water in her line of sight.

"I am. But snowstorm is not like rain or regular full moons," Viper said, lifting some of her tea into the air and turning them into bubbles. Her tail made a circular turn, and the bubbles turned into reddish brown snow flakes. "It's too wild. Knowing that there's so much energy hurtling outside keeps me awake, and when it goes on for days who wouldn't get tired?"

"It must be cool, though. Shifu said you might as well be unstoppable in winter," Monkey paused, recognizing the raised eyebrow look Viper always gave him and Mantis whenever they threw some jokes she considers lame. "Pun not intended."

To his surprise, Viper laughed. "You know, if my powers just let me sleep every now and then in winter, I think I might be okay with everything."

"But living beings are always unsatisfied. It's in our nature," Monkey said, either quoting Oogway from one of his rare teaching days or Soothsayer's history class. Viper wasn't sure. "Have you told anyone about it?"

"Master Oogway has been teaching me this special meditation, but no luck so far. Maybe I haven't tried enough. I'm this close to asking Soothsayer to make me one of her sleeping tea."

Monkey visibly blanched, and Viper laughed. "I'd rather have insomnia than drink one of her special remedies. But if you _really_ can't sleep, you should just wake one of us up to keep you company. I'm sure no one would mind."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Who wouldn't want some extra day off in the winter?" Viper shook her head disapprovingly, but a small smile graced her face, and that was enough for Monkey to continue, "I mean, if you're still not sure about the others, you can always wake me up."

Monkey then rubbed the back of his head in an attempt to stay nonchalant. This plan was gonna ruin some of his mornings for sure, but he couldn't get himself to care. He couldn't just let Viper face long sleepless nights alone. This way, maybe he could finally convince her to prank their friends.

"Thanks, Monkey," she said sincerely. Monkey only waved it off. This was his job as her friend, anyway.

They talked and talked about waterbending and snow. Monkey gave her some tips on what to do when she couldn't sleep, too (she still refused to prank people in their sleep, though). In the end they ended up playing a game where Monkey would give her the name of masters from their history lesson and Viper would make an ice statue of them dressed in riddiculous outfits. They decided to keep one of Oogway, Shifu, Soothsayer, and Mr. Ping posing as ribbon dancers for Po to carve as action figures later. Master Oogway would love it as a New Year gift.

Somewhere near dawn, Monkey climbed to the top shelf and grabbed a jar. He opened it only to find one cookie left, and under his breath he cursed at Po.

"Maybe you should find a new hiding place," she giggled.

"Or I could just prank him with itching powder," he said as he landed back on the floor. He picked the last cookie, split it into two, and gave the half to Viper, to which she accepted with a warm smile.

"It's not a nightmare," he said, long after the cookie was devoured.

"Oh."

"I just saw someone I haven't seen in a long while."

"Family?" She remembered her own, three provinces away.

"Technically not," he said. "But he's the closest thing I got to one."

"Us, too."

"Sorry?"

Viper beamed. "Us. Mantis, Po, Crane, Tigress, and I. The whole Jade Palace is your family too, Monkey. That's the one thing you can always count on. Remember that," she smiled softly.

"I will. Thank you, Viper."

The short silence that engulfed the kitchen as the sky settled into morning was spent remembering people they left behind in their journey mastering their powers. Monkey personally spent more of it dreading New Year's Eve.

 _You make your own destiny,_ he told himself.

Then, as he slowly drifted to sleep, three unanimous screams reverberated in the student barracks.

It alerted Shifu, too, who was desperately trying to unlock his inner peace in the Training Hall. Early morning screams weren't uncommon. Crane and Po woke them up before morning gong at least once a month – premonition dreams. Last time they did, Shifu and Tai Lung almost didn't make it in time before the group of bandits lay siege on a neighboring village. Casualties were still more than a few broken walls, even though the body count didn't reach Po and Crane's prediction, thank God for that. But this time all of Shifu's instinct flared up in panic more than ever because among those boys' horrified voice was his daughter's.

He sprinted towards the student's barracks, hoping that in his fear he didn't leave cracks on the ground or cause a tiny earthquake down in the valley. He arrived just as Mr. Ping landed right in front of the door, Soothsayer was right behind him. The three of them burst inside to where the children were gathered in Po's room.

There was no sign of danger, which relieved Shifu just slightly, but at the sight of Po, Crane, and Tigress sitting in a semi circle with their eyes glowing white, his panic spiked up again.

"What's going on?" he demanded. Everyone instantly turned and bowed at him.

Tai Lung, as the oldest, rose from his kneeling position by Tigress' side and spoke up. "They just woke up screaming, Master. We found them here talking about a vision, and just before you arrived their eyes began to glow."

That fear clenched his heart tighter. "Tigress too?"

Monkey, Viper, and Mantis looked at each other. The morning Crane turned into a medium came to mind automatically.

Mr. Ping rushed to Po's side whilst Shifu went to his daughter's and slowly shook her shoulders. "Tigress, can you hear me?"

"Whoa. Never thought of Tigress as the clairvoyant type," Mantis chuckled to his friends.

"She's not," said Soothsayer. She approached Crane whose whole body was shaking in contrast to the other two. She checked his eyes, then Po and Tigress'. "It's Po. Their connection seemed to have dragged her into his premonition."

"Is that even possible?" Viper asked for everyone.

Soothsayer stared at Shifu, knowing that he wanted the answer most, but another voice beat her to it.

"Nothing is impossible."

Oogway stepped into the room with wobbling legs, carrying his staff on his right side. Mysteriously, Crane, Po, and Tigress' head turned to look at him – the only reaction they'd given since the eyes began glowing.

"Honorable spirits, let go of my students," Oogway declared. His head was held high. The grip on his staff tightened. "You are scaring them."

Tigress' mouth opened, but it wasn't her voice that came out. The grand voice boomed and echoed in the small room in otherworldly vibes, hurting everyone within hearing distance with the first few syllables before everyone adjusted to it. "Dragon. You have an audience with us."

"I know. The first day of the final week of the year. You have an audience with me, not with my students. Let them go."

Po seemingly answered him this time, though the voice remained not his, "We have summoned the medium. He is the chosen messenger."

Soothsayer and Oogway's eyes widened, but not in disbelief. Never. Soothsayer let her cane drop onto the floor and laid each of her hooves on Crane's shoulders, speaking on the verge of tears, "Oh, poor child." She hugged him as if he was her own. From the corner of her eyes she glared at Oogway as if he had betrayed her.

Oogway looked away. He might as well had.

But the warrior shook his head; wrath took over his face.

"Fine. You have an audience with him, not with Po and Tigress. Let them both go, _now_ , or I will stop you from ever speaking to your new messenger again."

Multiple voice spoke back as one, "No, Dragon. _You_ let them go."

Something horrifying dawned on him. His body began to glow with golden chi. They gathered together at the tip of his staff until it shone so bright. Tai Lung instinctively jumped to shield Monkey, Mantis, and Viper, as Oogway wrote a rune in the air – so ancient neither Shifu nor Soothsayer could read it – then, with a rough grunt, he blasted it towards Po. The impact made a bizarre sound akin to a gong that shook the entire room. Soon after, both Po and Tigress' eyes dimmed and they fell into their respective father's arms.

* * *

The shimmering gold all around was blinding. She felt lightheaded. Her ears just popped. Everything sounded like she was underwater, but she could hear herself breathe and hear the blood pumping through her veins. But there was also something that made her feel right at home in this strangeness; a familiar warmth.

 _Po._

With the thought of his name, the lights dimmed and she finally could see.

She was standing in a space enclosed by a giant ring of stone table floating in the air. The sky was in beautiful shades of gold, and underneath her were floating debris and ruins of what could have been a building bigger than the imperial palace. Chunks of its former red roofs circulated among broken pieces of carved walls, looking like splotches of blood.

The giant blurs of light sitting on the stone table were even more enthralling. Among them were empty seats. There, just a few feet in front of her, in the center of it all, Crane stood awkwardly clutching at his hat.

"Where am I? Who are you? How did I get here?" Crane stuttered. He flew back a few steps, screaming when he found that he was previously standing on thin air. He kept flapping his wings, suddenly afraid of height again after years of experience travelling the sky.

"Dong Chen, you have been chosen to deliver a message," a booming voice said. "But first, you, Ping Po, we have not summoned you."

Crane turned around, metting Tigress' gaze for the first time. "Tigress?" His gaze then flitted somewhere over Tigress shoulder and she followed it, finding Po.

"Guys!" the panda shouted, running as fast as his chubby legs could go towards them. They often have the same vision, but they'd never seen each other in it before, let alone Tigress. She never appeared physically whenever she accidentally channels into other people's dreams, which made her think this wasn't one. She was sure Po and Crane shared the same idea.

"Ping Po, Tigress, you are not allowed in here," said another voice.

Beside her, Crane gulped, fearing that those lights would send his friends away and leave him alone in who knows where. Between the three of them, Po seemed like the only one without questions, and that was something, considering his curious nature. As Tigress assessed their surrounding for escape, Crane watched their monochrome friend look around calmly; at the carvings on the stone table – seemingly depicting battles –, at the ancient runes, at the four empty seats….

Tigress took a deep breath, finding no escape path but up and down. "If we're not then why are we here?" Tigress asked.

Po nudged her arm. "Tigress," he whispered, "I think we're in the Shengxiao Palace."

"Where?" said Crane. Tigress took another look around, recounting the giant lights sitting around them – eight lights, four empty seats – and recalling the previous afternoon, of Oogway and Monkey's conversation.

"Crane, we're talking to the zodiac spirits," Po clarified before bowing in respect. Tigress and Crane soon followed, despite their ever growing confusion.

"Indeed you are, children."

Joy overcame them for a moment as they cheered, "Master Oogway!"

Po in particular ran to hug his master, and it occurred to him that Oogway was one of the zodiac spirits' incarnates – their leader, even. How weird that his instinct told him he could hug Dragon but to bow detachedly to the other zodiac spirits.

Oogway caressed the tuft of hair between Po's ears, chuckling. "It's good to see you too, my friend."

"We just saw you yesterday," Po said, smiling wider.

"Well it's always good to see a friend, no matter when you last saw them." Oogway gathered Po and Tigress together, each hand holding one of their shoulders. "I'm afraid you two don't belong in this audience. They don't like eavesdroppers, you see. I have to take you home."

Po and Tigress froze up at the word eavesdropper.

"Master, what about me?" Crane asked worriedly, approaching the three. "They said I'm a chosen messenger… What does it mean?"

"Calm down, child. The spirits just need to talk to you. They will not harm you, I promise."

Reassured, Crane finally backed away and tried to smile. Tigress nodded at him, telling him to be brave. And while Po was reluctant to leave his fellow clairvoyant, Po waved him goodbye. "See ya soon, buddy."

"Okay."

Oogway, Po, and Tigress disappeared in a flash. Their departure was accompanied by a loud explosion of air that made Crane had to cover his ears. Once they were all truly gone, the spirits beckoned him to return to the center of the circle. He obeyed.

"Now, Dong Chen, we would like you to count."

* * *

"Po? Speak to me, son!" Mr. Ping lowered his head to hear his son's breath and fanned his son's face once he was sure whatever Oogway did didn't kill him. Though he couldn't help but be irritated still. Kung fu master or not, _no one_ hurts his Xiao Po.

"Take the kids outside," commanded Oogway. Not one second later Tai Lung ushered Monkey, Viper, and Mantis out. He only went back inside to grab Po and Tigress, putting the panda on his back and his sister on his arm. No one but him saw Shifu stroke Tigress' cheek before letting her go, and suddenly Tai Lung felt like it was the time Tigress got infected all over again.

Shifu's dismissal nod bore one message, _take good care of her_.

"They will be fine," Oogway said, a silent apology in his eyes for making Mr. Ping panic.

"And Crane?" Shifu asked.

The grandmaster sat down in a lotus position. His unwavering gaze stayed on Crane. "Good question. Now, old friends, to whom is this message for and why have you chosen my student to deliver it instead of _me_ or _my_ _messenger_?"

"This message is for the first man who built the foundation of Jade Palace," the spirits chorused.

The four adults present either gasped or widened their eyes in recognition. Each had a different picture in mind regarding the name. One pictured the past. Some pictured an ancient hero they've been praising in folk songs for generations. Another pictured chaos and gained revelation.

Oogway closed his eyes, frowning in deep concentration. "Leave us."

"Yes, Master." The two fathers exited in obedience.

Soothsayer stopped by the turtle's side just before making her way out. "Protect my student, do you hear me?"

He nodded once, but then his hand shot out, blocking her way, and he spoke in a deep voice that wasn't his, "He wishes to say goodbye, Ah Mah."

Something in her chest broke. All her worries and anger dissipated entirely as great sadness pricked at her eyes. She knew this day would come. She'd imagined it every single day of her life ever since she was chosen. But for him to say goodbye… it means- "Am I not to come with him?"

The tortoise shook his head.

"His past deed can't be resolved in the mortal realm. But your chance of repentance is not long from now, Ah Mah. Be patient," answered the spirits.

And the tears finally dropped. "Fate once took his best friends, and now you're taking mine?"

The spirits said nothing as she closed the doors.

Deep down in the mindscape, Oogway's soul shed a tear too. But his physical eyes flickered open. Golden light had swallowed the white and light brown of his eyes, and the voice that was not his now had the same echoes as the spirits' as he demanded, "Where is he?"

"Brother, Shan He is here. He is home."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! I know I haven't updated this in ages... but writer's block had been terrible to me and I had difficulties connecting the dots for the plot. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Up Next: Shifu reveals why he's worried about his daughter's 'limited' telepathic ability, and the kids try to find out who exactly this Shan He is while learning a little bit about Valley of Piece's history.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi pandom! I haven't been here in ages. Again. Sorry. First of all, thanks to carry-cat-cat who managed to disturb my original project and make me work on this again (thanks so much Catty). Second, I've updated the last chapter due to a change of mind in plot, you might wanna read that first. Without further ado, enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda, it belongs to Dreamworks Animation. This work is purely fiction.**

* * *

生肖戰士

Riddle of Realms

Chapter 4

* * *

Shifu once told him when he was very young that warriors braved the inexplicable. A few years later, when his father was away in an orphanage to train a mind reader that would later become his sister, Oogway told him that the inexplicable is a line to be travelled indeed, but there will be times when the line takes you in circle, because whatever it's bordering just can't be explained by our perceptions.

"But know this, young one. What we might see as going in circle, others might see as crossing the realms."

As far as his experience with the inexplicable goes, what happened to his sister and her friends was the first line he dared not explore. But if he could still find out the truth from his side of the line, then why shouldn't he? Plus, Monkey, Mantis, and Viper were listening in too anyway.

He moved Tigress and Po to the empty rooms downstairs, far enough from the scene of commotion but close enough to the stairs where they could hear bits and pieces of their masters' voice.

Among other things, what caught his attention most was the mention of Valley of Peace's founder.

"I mean did you hear how riddiculous they were? Shan He is dead. I know Crane can see the dead, but they have easier access in talking to that guy, don't they? What with them being high guardians of spirit realm and all…" Mr. Ping's voice alerted them, and their eavesdropping group of four split; two went to Po, the rest to Tigress.

"How are they?" Shifu stepped in with heavy, worried steps. Tai Lung had noticed it since little; Shifu's emotion always presented itself in his footsteps. The more intense it is, the harder the impact against the ground would be. For now, the building still hadn't shaken and Tai Lung was both glad and surprised.

Viper backed away from fanning her friend to give the father and daughter some privacy, giving the snow leopard a look that gestured for him to be with his family. To the room across, she motioned for Mantis and Monkey follow her outside to the hallway.

"Don't worry, Master. She'll wake up soon," Tai Lung assured.

"I know. It's just that Tigress was never spiritually inclined. And for the spirits to come in contact with her..."

Shifu growled low in frustration as he pushed himself away from Tigress' side, placing both hands behind his back. Tai Lung recalled Po calling this Shifu's thinking mode. "She's not like you, Tai Lung. There are things about her that I still can't explain."

Tai Lung knew exactly what his father was talking about. Shifu's gaze to the room right across was an unneeded confirmation. "You're still worried about their telepathy, Master?"

"First they have an exclusive link and now Po can drag her into one of his visions, which apparently was a summoning by the spirits and wasn't meant for him either?"

Tai Lung shrugged in discreet. "Crane and Po always have the same vision. With all due respect, to think that those two different connections might interlace is not a crazy idea. Her powers are still developing, Master, you always said that. Unless… there is another possibility you haven't told me."

Shifu turned his gaze away.

"Master, she's my sister. If something is wrong with her I have the right to know," he insisted, loud enough to make Mr. Ping look.

It caught Soothsayer's attention too, apparently. She was on the last steps of stairs when she heard him. "Indeed, you do, Tai Lung." The goat landed her cane on the floor with a loud thud. "We must talk, Shifu. And I think it's best that you come along, Mr. Ping."

Once again the fathers left their children under the care of their friends.

Soothsayer brought them to the library, where she usually teaches the children history and basic medicine. She spent more time in it than her own chamber that the kids called it her realm.

"You have to help me, Soothsayer. This is practically impossible," exclaimed the red panda as they entered.

"I fail to see how it is," remarked the Soothsayer, planting the base of her walking stick firm on the ground, her other hand reaching for a scroll up in the furthest, untouched shelf.

"Of course it is," he snapped, pacing back and forth. "I've skimmed through the entire records of known gifted powers and I never found a case of exclusive telepathy like this. I thought she'd be able to telepath with others by now. Then there's this incident with the spirits."

She dusted the scroll with gentle carress, and then headed back to where the two men were. She halted just a moment by a table when the pain on her knees began to sting, thankful that the shadows hid her sufferings from the concerned fathers. They already had more than enough to worry about. Or at least Shifu did.

"I know she's still developing, but why is it heading this way? And why is Po the only one to share that connection?"

Mr. Ping finally spoke up for the first time on this matter. "Maybe it's because they're each other's first friend."

"Nonsense," denied the red panda. "She knew Tai Lung first."

"Shifu, he's twice her age and was busy with kung fu training. Still is, if I might add. He doesn't have powers like she does. Po was the first person she can relate to, and she him. Maybe their connection was special from the start."

"I agree on your reasons," Soothsayer stepped out of the darkness, an ancient scroll secured in her hoove. "But I might have found another possibility."

The three approached the long table at the northern part of the room, and she spread out the scroll's short contents, revealing a series of paragraphs and colorful paintings. An odd thing to be found in a palace of warriors and kung fu.

"What is the meaning of this? This is a fairytale!" Shifu snapped.

"What?" Mr. Ping shouted. "'The Three Wronged Prisoners' is not just a fairytale. It's full of moral values, even better for children!" he protested with grand gestures of his wings.

Shifu sighed impatiently. "Alright, alright, nevermind that. Let's focus back on our problem."

Mr. Ping raised an eyebrow. "Shifu, I know you said this is a unique case, but I don't think it's a _problem_."

"Consider the facts. Nine years ago Po showed up to the Jade Palace. Something strange happened on his chi reading – Oogway still won't tell us what – and later we found out Tigress can telepath _only_ with him. Tell me destiny didn't have a hand in that."

Destiny. Now that was Soothsayer's expertise.

"You're worried of what might be waiting for them in the future." And truly, this time, she finally understood. "It is destiny, and it's why I present you this scroll. In the third part of this story, the traveler met a girl, trapped within unbreakable prison, abandoned, and alone. He decided to stay to take care of her. But he was mute, you see, and in her loneliness she had taken a vow of silence. They couldn't speak to each other. Then, as time goes by, their spirits started to form a link that allows them to communicate in silence."

"Ah, you're thinking Po and Tigress' spirits created the same link," Mr. Ping's said.

"How can that be? They could already telepath on their first meeting."

"The link is spiritual. It could have been created lifetimes ago, carried on through reincarnation."

"They could be soulmates!" gushed Mr. Ping.

The earthbending master fainted.

* * *

Po didn't remember falling asleep.

His eyes opened, staring against a blur of orange.. Then another figure slithered into his view; green, with two little spots of pink.

"Viper? Tigress?" he murmured.

Something light jumped onto his stomach. "Man, you were out for the whole day!"

"I was?" Po blinked lazily.

"Nah, just for half an hour. Tigress just woke up fifteen minutes ago."

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes softly and grunted as he forced his body to sit up. "What happened?"

"You were possessed by some spirits Oogway knows," the bug said bluntly.

" _Possessed?!_ "

"Well, I think it was supposed to be just Crane, but because you two share your visions all the time somehow you got dragged in? And you dragged Tigress in? I don't know, complicated stuffs like that."

Po seemed to be more worried about the fact that he involved Tigress. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Did the spirits do anything to you? Ugh, my tongue tastes funny. What did they make me eat?"

Tigress shook her head in amusement. "That's probably the bad dumpling you ate last night. And no, they didn't do anything, remember? Master Oogway got us out."

"Oh yeah. They just wanted to talk to-" Po gasped. "What happened to Crane?"

The pair of green animals looked at each other, unsure. When words didn't come out, the two led Po and Tigress upstairs, to Crane's room.

"Oogway told us to let him rest before he left. He's been like that ever since he woke up," Viper whispered.

"Wouldn't answer when we ask. He just sits there mumbling some numbers."

Po opened the door wider. "Crane, you okay, buddy?"

Tigress barely stepped into the avian's mind when his mind-voice attacked her with echoes of numbers. Her sensitive ears flattened against her skull, and she tuned out of his mind immediately. Her body swayed to the side in painful daze, and that was what made her three friends enter.

"You okay?" Viper asked in concern as Po tried to steady her. Tigress brushed them off, pointing out that Crane's well-being was more urgent.

The boy didn't look like himself. The kind, simple light in his eyes had darkened, bringing hollowness to those orbs. His feathers were ruffled from stress and fear, and he was rocking himself back and front on his mat, mumbling, "One, two, no. Seven, nine, _no, no, wrong!_ Three… five…"

The panda approached him slowly, and then kneeled beside his fellow clairvoyant. "Uh… Crane?"

Mantis poked the avian's toes hesitantly. "Dude, you're creeping us out. What happened?"

Crane flinched from his touch, shivering. "Six!" he shrieked.

"That's enough," Tigress said. "Mantis, go get Soothsayer. Viper, get some water."

The two reptiles wasted no time. Mantis disappeared instantly, leaving small trail of dust in his path. Tigress went to grab a small cloth in Crane's drawer and once Viper came back she poured some water on it. Po already got rid of Crane's hat, so Tigress pressed the cloth against Crane's head while Viper bent his sweat away.

"Crane? Can you hear me?" Tigress said.

Crane shook his head wildly, forcing Tigress to pull her hand away. "No, no, I'm still doing it wrong!"

"Doing what wrong? What did the spirits tell you?" Viper coaxed gently.

"Shan He, he's coming home!"

"Whoa, calm down, Crane. Who's Shan He?" Po grabbed Crane's shoulder to stop him from fidgeting, but once he did, Crane suddenly went limp and blacked out.

"Crane!" all three kids shouted. Po shook him again.

"What is going on here?" Shifu demanded, barging in with Soothsayer, Mr. Ping, and Mantis in tow.

"Crane, h-he woke up b-but then he just-" Po stammered, laying his unconscious friend down on the mat.

"He seemed to have a panic attack," Tigress clarified. "He was saying random numbers, Master."

Soothsayer checked Crane's vitals quickly before asking, "Did you remember what he said?"

"Not exactly," Tigress answered, a little ashamed of herself for not coming up with that.

"He wasn't making a lot of sense. He said, one, then two, then six and ten, was it?" Po piped up. Tigress shrugged at his questioning tone. "Yeah, he said ten. I think." Po scratched the back of his head. "Oh, and he mentioned a… Shan He."

Shifu and Soothsayer swapped knowing glances.

"Mr. Ping, would you please prepare breakfast?" Shifu said.

"Oh, of course. It'll be ready in twenty minutes," Mr. Ping said. As a last minute decision, he went over to Po to give him a quick hug. "Glad to see you're okay, son."

"Do you want me to help, Dad?"

Mr. Ping let go of him. "What? You just got possessed! No way, I want you to rest, young man!"

"But I can-"

"Ah ah ah. Rest, I said," Mr. Ping cut him off.

Shifu sighed. "He's right. You two should rest. Crane would be alright here." With that, Mr. Ping took his cue and went straight for the kitchen.

Tigress, Viper, Mantis, and Po was hesitant to leave, but in the end they bowed and bid the masters goodbye. Although rest was the farthest thing from what Tigress and Po had in mind as they went downstairs, where Monkey and Tai Lung were waiting by the front door.

"We have to find out who Shan He is," Tigress said.

Tai Lung smirked. "Way ahead of you, little sister."

As it turned out, Tai Lung and Monkey already went ahead to search for answers. Since Soothsayer, Shifu, and Mr. Ping were discussing in the Jade Palace library, the two went to the estate's secondary library. The Lotus Pagoda.

"So what happened on your side of this whole possession thing?" Tai Lung interrogated. "Funny how the universe seems to always put you two together. You might want to slow down, kids. Shifu's old heart might not be ready," the snow leopard grinned teasingly, followed by a couple of chuckles from the others.

Tigress scowled at them while Po tried to make himself look unperturbed, even though the colors in his face betrayed him. After silencing the others with her threatening gaze, Tigress turned to Po, contemplating whether to tell her brother or not. The panda shrugged, leaving the decision to her.

"Crane was summoned by the Shengxiao spirits."

"Really? Who would've guessed?" Mantis said sarcastically. Another threatening glare was thrown at him, resulting in Mantis escaping fearfully to Monkey's shoulder.

"They said Crane is the new messenger," Viper added.

"Which means one if not all the new Shengxiao Zhanshis is already born," Tai Lung concluded. "And they have a message for Shan He."

Good, at least now they all had the same basic idea on what happened. The two didn't say anything, but they did sneak a glance at Monkey, who was walking ahead of them all, staying silent also.

Po, though, didn't want to waste the gloating opportunity this experience gave him, "Well, we got to see them, too. In the ruins of Shengxiao Palace."

Everyone but the pair of telepathic duo stopped dead in their tracks.

"Hold up-"

"What did you say?"

"You mean to tell me that you two saw the Shengxiao spirits, the most powerful spirits in the world, with your very own eyes?" said Tai Lung, his voice overshadowing the others' curiosity. There might be some amazement in there too. Either way, Po grinned smugly.

"Yeah," Po nodded, then his eyes lit up with giddiness. "They knew our names, too!"

Monkey scowled in annoyance. "They're the guardians of the spirit realm, they know everybody's names!"

"It's still cool, though. The Shengxiao Zhanshis called me by name. How awesome is that?!"

They finally reached their destination. Just across the tea house, by the semi frozen lake, was a majestic pagoda with twelve sides and twelve stories high. The walls were jade, like the main temple, and the roofs were dark red. Inside the double wooden door, countless scrolls and paintings filled the wall-shelves to the brim.

There was a small altar opposite to the door where porcelain figurines of the twelve zodiac animals stood in a single line on the altar's small platform. Laid against the platform itself were paintings of Oogway and three other masters; the Chicken incarnate, Ox incarnate, and Rat incarnate. The previous team of Shengxiao Zhanshi. Red candles, incense, a few buns and fruits were offered before the paintings and figurines.

They sat in a circle in the middle of the first floor while Monkey and Tai Lung grabbed a couple of old scrolls. There was a strange warmth inside the pagoda that instantly melted away the winter cold they had to pass through to get there. Oogway told them it was because the pagoda had a strong spiritual aura, but still, Tigress didn't want to take the chance. She closed the doors shut, and returned to the circle where everybody was already settled.

"I'm surprised the history geek didn't recognize the name," Tai Lung started, looking at Po. "Shan He was the founder of Valley of Peace. The valley folks tell his story to kids all the time."

Po scrunched up his nose. "Wait, Shan He is Lord Yu? _The_ Lord Yu?"

The other five stayed silent. They didn't come down to the valley often, and they all came from places far away. Po was the only one who ever lived among the valley folks.

"Shan He was his birth name." Tai Lung unrolled the first scroll, revealing a series of painting depicting a war and a mysterious figure with a rice hat and a staff as the main focus. "At the time, China was raged with great war and flood, and many people were left homeless. Shan He led them on a journey to find a new home far away from the battles, and so they ended up here. Built a civilization. He named this place Valley of Peace, hoping that war would never harm it. Legend says he's buried in an unnamed grave in the cemeterial ground on the other side of this mountain. Most people who ever lived here considered him as the first master of Jade Palace."

"But Jade Palace wasn't built until the first Shengxiao Zhanshi descended. Long Zhao, from the second dynasty," Tigress countered.

Monkey answered, "Yeah, but Sacred Hall of Warriors was built on the foundation of his house."

"Hey, that staff kinda looks like Oogway's," Viper pointed out.

"That's because it is," Monkey confirmed.

Tai Lung nodded as well. "It's been passed down to the spiritual leaders of this valley and eventually to Long Zhao, who made the Jade Palace as a school for the gifted, and then to the other Jade Palace grandmasters after him."

"If he's so important why is he only painted as a black blob?" Mantis said, tapping the biggest painting of Shan He. "Was he that ugly?"

"Mantis!" Viper chided.

"What? I'm just asking."

Tai Lung rolled his eyes. "In the third dynasty, the emperor burned almost every record that ever existed, including paintings of Shan He. It took a while before knowledge was allowed to be recorded in books and pictures again, and by that time people already forgot what Shan He looked like."

Monkey chimed in, "The only surviving records of Shan He were written ones and they are in Oogway's chamber, so there's no way we're getting there. Not without his chi, anyway."

"Some Dragon incarnation was curious, too, and he tried to contact Shan He's spirit. According to his note," Tai Lung picked up another scroll, "Shan He had reached the highest level of enlightenment that no mortal's visual sense of perception could make sense of his figure."

"So he failed to get a picture," Mantis stated the obvious.

"That, and the note said Shan He didn't really like being painted anyway," Monkey added.

"Ugh, me neither," Po said. "A sketch is fine, though, especially if it's quick and with a famous kung fu master. But if he existed years before the first Shengxiao Zhanshi descended, then why do the Shengxiao spirits have a message for him? What does he have anything to do with zodiac stuffs?"

Monkey shrugged. "Maybe because the Jade Palace was his home and now is the home of the Shengxiao Zhanshis?"

"But he's dead. The Shengxiao spirits have easier access talking to him than Crane does. They live in the same realm!"

Everyone went quiet, thinking.

"Unless, of course, Shan He has returned," Tigress said, interrupting the silence.

Po gasped. "Crane did say Shan He is coming home."

"What, like… the living dead?" Mantis asked.

Tai Lung facepalmed, "No, you fool! Reincarnation!"

"But… why? Didn't you say he's sort of enlightened?" Viper asked.

Monkey rolled back all the scrolls. "Yeah, the whole 'no mortal's visual sense of perception could make sense of his figure' thing."

Then, after another moment of silence, Mantis said casually, "Why don't we just ask him?"

"This is not the time to joke around," Tigress growled.

Monkey repeated the visual sense of perception quote to prove Tigress' point.

"No, I'm serious. Why do you guys have to make everything hard?" Mantis turned to the older feline. "You said he's buried in the cemetary just behind the mountain, right? Why don't we just go there and 'knock knock, Mr. Shan He, are you home?' If he's still there, no reincarnation. If he's not, then he's probably alive again. Somewhere."

"Oh, like you can speak to the dead, tough guy?" Tai Lung sneered.

"I can."

Half of the group gasped as they turned to the door, where it was now open, and the seventh current student of the Jade Palace was standing just outside.

Crane.

No one said anything until Po raised his hand nervously, "Um, my Dad always said don't go looking around for bad luck before new year… and I'm pretty sure talking to a ghost is on the bad luck list."

Crane stepped inside, still looking heavy with tiredness, but he stood tall as he said, "I have a message to send. We're going."

* * *

Somewhere hidden by the Jade Mountains, stood a temple far older than the Jade Palace; a dodecagon-shaped building twelve stories high with red roofs and oaken walls, surrounded by sacred pools and twelve guardian statues.

Lit candles became his only source of light inside. He cited the very first chant he was ever taught, slowly letting his energy take the form of light, and with swift fingers he guided the stone calendar to turn.

Each animal carving on the surface was embedded with a single gem. The Dragon's was the only one shining, and now after almost six hundred years its glow had faded, ordinary eyes wouldn't notice that it was glowing at all without being in total darkness.

His eyes became empty after the chanting finished, but soon after his hands went limp something else entirely took over him, and his eyes began to emit a soft golden glow that covered his caramel irises. The ordinary being, who by some miracle acquired a title greater than emperor, kneeled humbly before the spirits he knew were watching.

"Your time is up," followed a singular voice.

"I know," he said, scrunching both his eyes shut to hold the tears. "But I'm not ready." This was the end. For him. For all of him and them. For the mighty spirit who lived and walked the mortal world. But he couldn't. He wouldn't. "Please, I-I like it here. This is my home. These are my people," he whispered, the pain finally bursting through.

"Oogway needs rest. You are infinite, and you had your time. You don't belong here, Dragon. There's one more life to relive, but that is all you have."

Deep inside their vessel, surrounded by the midnight sky of his mindscape, standing under a full grown peach tree, Oogway's spirit came face to face with a monstrous dragon form shining as bright as their vessel's eyes. And goodbye wasn't far.

"I'm sorry, old friend," Oogway said.

The dragon flew closer and landed at the tip of the cliff where the turtle stood. "I've been with you for more than five hundred years, Oogway. I know you don't want to leave, either."

"I have a family here who has to finish what I did, of course I don't want to leave. But if I can fix my past on the other side to make it easier for them, I would." The humble spirit bowed with a sad smile, and with the same manner Dragon bowed back, slightly unwilling. "Please protect my students."

On the stone calendar, three gems flickered alight. Only once did this combination happen, sometime way too far into the past for anyone but the spirits to remember.

"You're coming home soon, brother," said the spirits.

Finally after a short flicker, Dragon's gem relighted.

* * *

 **A/N: Whoo! Who's up for ghost hunting? Anyway, as always, thank you for reading and supporting this fic.**

 **Up next: The kids challenge their luck by going to the cemetery in search of Shan He's ghost. Is superstition just some baloney, or does it ring some truths? Po especially has to make sure that he's not gonna end up as a kung fu and history nerd again in the next life.**


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